I’ve been using facebook quite a lot for the past few years, posting several links/updates per day.
A couple of weeks ago I decided I’d had enough, so here’s what I did:
Sent a mass message to everyone on my facebook friends list (about 200) telling them what was wrong with facebook and why they should give Diaspora a try. You can read the text here: http://robinsland.co.uk/2012/11/13/facebook-have-gone-too-far/
Since then I’ve made a point of posting all the things I would have posted on Facebook on Diaspora instead, only posting roughly daily on facebook with a link that has something to do with Diaspora, so things like diasporial/what-is, poduptime, the pod signup page or a link to my stream.
This strategy seems to be working, and people are gradually giving Diaspora a try. I’ve irritated a few of my friends with my persistence but facebook has such huge traction now that I knew I was going to have to push hard to make an impact. I feel a definite sense that people have had enough of facebook, so I think now is the time.
I thought I would share this in case other people find these strategies useful.
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I think from a user perspective, this is a really simple, good start for user advocacy. Part of the trick of getting other people to join is to show that their friends are on there enjoying it already.
I think it’s also important to try to get your friends to sign up on different pods through http://podupti.me, it more easily illustrates the idea of decentralized social, and if too many people are on a pod, it tends to slow the pod down and affect federation.
The conclusion is, although some friends subscribed on Diaspora (~5), none of them is active one year later. We miss a lot of features… I think photo album is really the minimum.
Yeah I don’t think leaving facebook is the way to do it, I think you need to be where everyone else is (on facebook) reminding them about Diaspora and the fact you are on it.
Also I don’t think encouraging others to leave facebook is realistic, just offer them an alternative and hope they give it a try and gradually use facebook less. Facebook has so much traction now that for a lot of people its like asking them to stop using email.
I’m waiting until federation, pod migration and a few key features such as photo hosting and groups are sorted out before inviting my friends, because most of them would probably think ‘this is a bit rubbish, not much going on here’ and leave, and I have seen so many other people say that in the Diaspora stream over the past year plus.
When I decide the time is right to invite people I know, I’ll probably follow a similar strategy to yours, Robin. I hope you’re successful in encouraging people to try Diaspora and in keeping them on the network once they do try it. Good luck.